Archive of ‘Body Image and Self Worth’ category

Have you ever wondered if body image is as big an issue with men as it is for women? Today guest blogger Sam Eaton will answer this question. I’m so thankful for Sam and the new perspective he has been bringing to this community. Make sure you give him some love and go visit his blog, RecklesslyAlive.com. xoxo Joy (more…)

Am I strong? Beautiful? Am I good enough? Have you found yourself asking these questions? We live in a world that tears us down. A world that tells us we will never be skinny enough, smart enough, or good enough. If we let the world define us, we will always be let down. Instead, we have to be defined by the Cross.

Easter has come and gone, but the power of what happened on the Cross lives forever. When I write the Cross, I’m referring to the historical moment when Jesus died on the Cross and took on the shame of all our sins. That moment in history will forever leave a mark on you and this world.

Why? Because the Cross forms your identity. The Cross is who you are. It is not just a big theological term, but it also impacts every part of your life. It brings you freedom from your past and hope for your future. (more…)

When I was a freshman in college, I gained the dreaded freshman 15. Going into college I struggled with body image, and this new weight just made it worse. God wants us to love our bodies and take care of them. He does not want us to gain the freshman 15.

Since I’m no fitness expert, I’m having my friend Nikki, a Beachbody coach, share how to avoid the freshman 15. Check out her 8 tips below! (more…)

You know those nights where you feel so unloved and alone? When you wish you could have someone to hold you and tell you they love you? The love we experience on earth will never compare to God’s love for us. Our hearts have been made to cry out for a love that can only come from our creator.

A guy may seem like the best fix, but only God’s love is a lasting solution. This truth is written all over the Bible.

Did you know that the Bible is God’s love letter to us? Isaiah 43 is a great example of a love letter from God. When I study scripture, I like to read it and then write it out in my own words. This helps me better understand what I have read. For this particular chapter, I read the passage as if God hand wrote me a love letter in beautiful calligraphy. I wrote it in my journal in the exact same way. You can do the same thing. (more…)

Pain is running rampant on college campuses across the globe. Still in college, I have seen and experienced the pain. Some women lack an understanding that they have a God in heaven who loves them and created them with a plan and a purpose. Not knowing about God, they turn to the things the world tells them will provide pleasure and satisfaction. For a college freshman, those things include: boys, sex, drinks, a perfect body, and cool friends.

Maybe you live in a bubble and don’t realize this is happening on our college campuses. Please, open your eyes and realize that pain is spreading like a disease. Women are hurting themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and Jesus is the only one who can provide healing.

I’m sorry for the language, but I want you to read the honesty and pain in her words. This is a poem written by a freshman who is living in the pain:

I hope summer is going well for you all. I am currently working as a counselor at a camp called SYI, the Summer Youth Institute at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. I’m having a wonderful time! Today we got to go dragon boating down the river! It also made my day when I found out I had a blog post published on XXXchurch.com! I’m super excited about this. The ministry helps with porn addiction recovery. They are a growing ministry and I’m excited to be a part of it.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

Dear daughter of a King,

How often do you long to feel beautiful, accepted, and loved? For me, this happens almost daily. I have to repeat these truths from the verses in 1 Peter. I tell myself:

“Joy, you are chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession. God pulled you out of darkness and into his light. You are a part of God’s people and now have his mercy!”

3 weeks agoby joypedrowIn 2013, I went to the Passion conference. In 2018, I met Louie at DTS. Louie shared today, “Millennials are the best investment I’ve made with my life.” Amen. I hope I can say the same thing when I’m his age.